MINNEAPOLIS – The Trump administration is pressing a judge to dismiss attempts by Minnesota and its major cities to halt an intensified immigration enforcement campaign that has stirred Minneapolis and St. Paul for several weeks.
The Justice Department criticized the lawsuit filed shortly after the tragic shooting of Renee Good by an immigration officer, labeling it as “legally unfounded.” Government attorneys insisted that the Department of Homeland Security is operating within its jurisdiction to implement immigration laws.
According to a court document submitted on Monday, the initiative, known as Operation Metro Surge, has enhanced safety in the state by apprehending over 3,000 individuals residing in the country without documentation.
“In essence, Minnesota seeks to have a say over federal law enforcement,” wrote the Justice Department lawyers.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison contended that the federal actions violate free speech and other constitutional rights due to their unprecedented nature. He criticized the heavily armed officers as inadequately trained and demanded an end to what he termed an “invasion.”
The lawsuit, initiated on January 12, requests a court order to suspend or restrict the enforcement operations. Further legal motions are anticipated, although the timeline for U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez’s ruling remains uncertain.
Ilan Wurman, who teaches constitutional law at University of Minnesota Law School, doubts the state’s arguments will be successful.
“There’s no question that federal law is supreme over state law, that immigration enforcement is within the power of the federal government, and the president, within statutory bounds, can allocate more federal enforcement resources to states who’ve been less cooperative in that enforcement space than other states have been,” Wurman told The Associated Press.
Menendez ruled in a separate case Friday that federal officers can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities.
Good, 37, was killed on Jan. 7 as she was moving her vehicle, which had been blocking a Minneapolis street where Immigration and Customers Enforcement officers were operating. Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him.
Since then, the public has repeatedly confronted officers, blowing whistles and yelling insults at ICE and U.S. Border Patrol. They, in turn, have used tear gas and chemical irritants against protesters. Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.
President Donald Trump last week threatened to invoke an 1807 law and send troops to Minnesota, though he has backed off, at least in his public remarks.
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